After dropping its first two Atlantic Coast Conference contests to Wake Forest last weekend, the baseball team will get plenty of chances next week to prove its 18-1 start was more than just a fluke.
The No. 21 Blue Devils host Virginia this weekend, then take on No. 19 Florida State in Tallahassee the following weekend. The pair of Atlantic Coast Conference series sandwiches three non-conference games during the week.
Although the Cavaliers finished three games under .500 in the ACC last season, they got this season off to a rousing start at the Big Ball Sports Classic in Houston. UVa dispatched traditional powerhouse Rice, 3-2, in its season opener and defeated then-No. 15 Oklahoma State, 4-2, two days later.
"For the last couple of years, they've been really good," coach Steve Traylor said. "They have most of their players back, and everybody expects them to have a good team this year. I think State most closely mirrors Wake and Virginia."
In its first ACC series of the year, strangely, UVa suffered the same fate as Duke. The Cavaliers were swept in a two-game set with No. 18 Georgia Tech by scores of 5-3 and 27-4. The 27 runs in the second game set a Georgia Tech record for most runs scored in a contest.
Duke will send staff ace Stephen Cowie to the mound today, followed by Chris Capuano, making his first start of the season, Saturday. Patrick Hannaway will close out the series for Duke Sunday. One of the major question marks for the Blue Devils heading into the season was the starting rotation; 22 games later, that question still looms.
"I think [Capuano] is going be in [the rotation]," Traylor said. "Cowie and [Capuano] have emerged as our two best pitchers. We knew [Capuano] was capable-he's throwing strikes, had better command than last year. Our first two spots are pretty solidified, and we still got Hannaway and [Brent] Reid."
Virginia two-way threat Javier Lopez brings the thunder from the left side of the plate (.320, 7 HR, .780 slugging percentage) and the lightning from the left side of the rubber (3-0, 3.40, 20K in 20.2 innings). The Cavaliers also boast one of the better infields in the ACC, highlighted by second baseman Ryan Gilleland (.385) and power-hitting third baseman Brian Sherlock (.364, 5 HR, .841 slg).
The Blue Devils' road odyssey will begin with a mid-week swing through the southeast, with games scheduled at Wofford, Furman and Florida A&M. The six-game road trip will conclude with a three-game stand in Tallahassee against Florida State (17-7, 0-1).
Although the Seminoles were one win away from their third straight appearance in the College World Series last season, the ballclub was severely depleted by last June's amateur draft. Six Seminoles left Tallahassee to pursue their Major League dreams, including last year's Player of the Year, J.D. Drew. All-Americans Jeremy Morris, a leftfielder, and Randy Choate, a pitcher, were also taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft.
"They've lost players of that caliber every year for the last 20 years, and they replace them with players of that same ability," Traylor said. "Obviously when you lose Drew and Morris, you lose 50 home runs and 200 RBIs."
Despite the mass migration to the pros, FSU retains a young but potent line-up anchored by senior catcher Jeremy Salazar. The three-year starter is currently flirting with the .400 mark at .393 and leads the team in RBIs with 28. The Blue Devils' normally subdued running game may come to a dead halt with Salazar behind the plate, as he gunned down almost 50 percent of attempted base-stealers last season.
Sophomore transfer Wes Crawford, projected to work in middle relief in the preseason, has pitched his way into the role of staff ace. The lefthander relies on his control and can wiggle his way out of trouble, compiling a 2.16 ERA despite allowing 13.5 runners per nine innings.
"They may not have the dominant offensive team, but they're still good," Traylor said. "When it's all said and done, they'll be a top-10 team and make it to the College World Series."
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